The influence of rational-emotive education on the self-concept of adolescents living in a residential group home

The purpose of this study was to investigate the influence of rational-emotive education on the self-concept of adolescents residing in residential group homes. The research on maternal deprivation and its relation to self-concept was reviewed as well as the research on the efficacy of rational-emotive education and its influence on adolescent self-concept. The literature showed a clear relationship between maternal deprivation and poor self-concept in adolescence.

An experimental study was designed in which 24 adolescents who lived in an orphanage participated in one of three groups. The treatment group received rational-emotive education while one control group received non-directed attention and the other control group had no treatment at all. All subjects were pre- and post-tested on the Tennessee Self-Concept Scale. Gain scores were computed and analyses of variance performed on the. nine variables of the Tennessee Self-Concept Scale, Results revealed that the experimental group did achieve greater gain scores, and that the changes of this group were not due to chance but to the treatment of rational-emotive education.

Given that rational-emotive education did have a positive influence on the self-concepts of maternally deprived adolescents, it was recommended that directors of residential programs seek to implement similar types of treatment. Also recommended were comparative and follow-up studies utilizing rational-emotive education intervention. Lastly, researchers were encouraged to continue exploration of treatment plans for maternally deprived adolescents.